Notre Dame MBA students to host second annual diversity conference

Published: January 04, 2009

Diversity experts from Major League Baseball (MLB), USA Swimming and global business will speak during the second annual Notre Dame MBA Diversity Conference to be held Feb. 6 and 7 at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Titled"Balancing Diversity: Celebrating Our Differences While Achieving a Common Goal,"the conference is open to the public as well as all Notre Dame students, staff and faculty.

On-line registration opens Jan. 15 and the deadline for registration is Feb. 3.
“The Mendoza College aspires to enhance the Notre Dame experience for its students by encouraging cultural, professional and spiritual diversity, in an atmosphere of academic excellence,”said Michael Burns, chairman of the MBA Program’s diversity committee.“One important outlet to uphold this mission is our upcoming conference, which we are pleased to present to the University and greater South Bend communities, especially during such an important and historically diverse time for our country.”

The speakers include: John Cruzat Jr., the national diversity specialist for USA Swimming who is leading efforts to bring ethnic diversity into the sport; Lisa Gutierrez, executive director of global diversity at Cummins Inc., which mandates diversity training for its entire workforce; and Wendy Lewis, senior vice president of diversity for MLB, who oversees the Diverse Business Partners program, an effort to cultivate MLB business partnerships with minority- and women-owned businesses.

The conference also will feature an opening reception in the Notre Dame Stadium press box, panel discussions on current topics in diversity and networking opportunities.

The conference is sponsored by Cummins, a manufacturer of engines and related technologies based in Columbus, Ind., and the Notre Dame MBA Diversity Committee. The MBA Diversity Committee is composed of representatives from the MBA Student Association, MBA Clubs and Affinity Groups, as well as Mendoza College of Business faculty and staff.

The cost of the conference is $75 for non-students, $25 for non-Notre Dame students and free for all Notre Dame students.More information is available at http://nd.edu/~mba/diversityconference/ .